Havana Blue von Leonardo Padura

A scorching novel from a star of Cuban fiction. The third in the Havana Quartet series.

From Publishers Weekly

Blending noirish police procedural with vivid images of life in contemporary Cuba, Padura has produced another gem in the third of his Havana Quartet (after Havana Black and Havana Red). Police lieutenant Mario Conde is roused from a post–New Year’s Eve hangover by a call from his superior reporting the disappearance of Rafael Morín Rodríguez, a high-level official in the ministry for industry. By chance, Rodríguez and his gorgeous wife, Tamara, were high school classmates of Conde, who carried a torch for Tamara for many years. While she claims to be mystified by her husband vanishing, swearing that he was an honest public servant, Tamara remains high on Conde’s list of suspects even as he struggles to master his desire for her. That desire threatens to compromise an already sensitive investigation. Padura’s taut writing and lyrical images will impress even newcomers to the series. (June)
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Review

Praise for the Havana Quartet „Overlaid with a rich smoky patina, an atmosphere that reeks of slums and riches, cigar smoke and exotic perfumes. Havana Black is a strong tasting book, a rich feast of wit and feeling.“ Independent „Drenched with that beguiling otherness so appealing to fans of mysteries of other cultures, it will also appeal to those who appreciate the sultry lyricism of James Lee Burke. “ Booklist „Well-plotted second volume of the seething, steaming Havana Quartet… a densely packed mystery.“ Publishers Weekly